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Any Xbox fanatic knows of Major Nelson (also known as the mild mannered Larry Hryb,) the cool Xbox Live employee who manages a blog and pod

blogcast show. Recently, he let everyone know that we shouldn’t expect Divx support from the Xbox 360 using the Media Center Extender function - ever. Why? Well, he eludes to the fact that there has not yet been one commercial DVD release in Divx format, and therefore, there is no reason to support it on the Xbox 360. He went on to say that Divx is primarily used as a method to “back up” DVDs, and Microsoft doesn’t want to get into any hot water on that front.

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Recently we were able to acquire a Qtek 9100, a European version of the soon to be released Cingular 8125. The HTC Wizard is a Windows Mobile 5.0 cellular phone with a sliding QWERTY keyboard and a great little form factor. For more information on the Wizard, and our full review, read on.

It’s that time of year again, and Gear Live is here to help you make the purchase to geek out those you love. Oh, and we will have everyone on your list covered, from the spouse, to the kids, to the parents, to the person you are forced to buy a gift for because you just know they will be buying you one. We have collected some of the better items we have seen over the past year, along with a few new ones, in putting this years guide together.

Oh - one other special treat. We will be giving away many of the items featured in this year’s list. Think of it as our gift to you. It goes like this: If an item is up for grabs, we will let you know within that post. If you want it, you will be asked to make a post on

SCOTTeVEST truly is Technology Enabled Clothing, as the company touts. Using this philosophy, SCOTTeVEST has developed a full line of clothing specially geared toward those who need to carry multiple gadgets but never had the pockets to do so. In the past, we have taken a look at their Three.0 Spring Jacket, Hidden Cargo Shorts, TEC T-Shirt, Classic Vest, Solar Jacket, Sport Coat, and Hidden Cargo Pants. Today, we take a look at what might be their best product to date - by far. At first glance, the Milan Leather Jacket is impressive. We put it through a full review after the jump.

It’s no secret that the iPod is easily scratched and now with the introduction of the “nano black” iPods, scratches seem to find their way on these high priced devices even easier and more noticeable than ever before. So what do you do about it other than yell, fall to the floor and start crying? Shell out $24.95 for a protective covering that promises to keep your new toy shiny and scratch free. We were able to get one at the same time that we purchased a 60 GB black iPod and share our experience after the jump.

So, back at the beginning of September, we announced that we would be giving away an Xbox 360 Omega Bundle from Gamestop. Being the smart guys that we are, we knew they would sell out, and ordered quickly. We just needed to know where to send the damned thing. After eliminating and disqualifying those who entered more than once, we contacted two legitimate winners. The first two people gave false email addresses, which means they don’t get the prize. As they say, the third time is a charm, and Mitch G. walks away with the Omega Bundle due to his giving us valid contact information. Enjoy yourself, Mitch. We haven’t even pre-ordered our own.

To all the rest, keep an eye out. We have a giveaway that is going to be even bigger than this one in our 2006 Holiday Gift Guide.

When we received the Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter, I was unsure of how useful the product would be in this day and age. After all, I have been doing just fine flipping open my PowerBook and checking to see if there was a wireless signal around. Why would we need a device that is dedicated to detecting wi-fi networks that are surrounding you? Well, you have to use it to know. The CanaryWireless Digital Hotspotter is an extremely helpful little device, and we explain why after the jump.

So just about everyone who could afford it picked up the new 5th generation iPod with video support, and it seems that it is a hit. Adding to the myriad of reviews out there, we figured we would do a no-nonsense “quick review” of the device. Not sure what that means? Well, after writing the full review twice and having it turn up as garbled text both times, we have shortened it to hit the keys point to save from further frustration that would result in throwing an iMac through the window.

This is very old news, but I figured I would talk about it anyway. I have to admit to a bit of sadness since IBM sold off its PC division to Lenovo. I’ve owned many computers throughout the years. Although I’ve been primarily an Apple user, one of the best non-Apple computers I’ve ever used was an IBM ThinkPad. Though IBM didn’t have the same design philosophy Apple has in regards to form and function, IBM made rock solid machines. The same cannot be said for many of it’s competitors. Not only that, but IBM made innovative and feature rich laptops.

Over at PlayFeed, we have posted up a ton of images of the new Xbox 360 Controller for Windows, including screen captures of the installation process - that thing they charge you an extra $5 for above the price of the exact same controller without the installation disc. Be sure to hop on over to PlayFeed to check out the images along with very early impressions.